The Last Day
by purplecitrusella
Summary: When an ordinary school bus ride goes awry, the Martin family's lives will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is somewhat like those trailers that make you feel like you're in the movies but it's a poem instead. Hope you like it! Please read and review! Don't worry, there's more to the story than this!**_

_The Last Day_

It was just an ordinary day

It was a warm day

It was the last day

The last day of school

The last day Bus #106 ever ran

The last day of the Martin family's life

As they know it


	2. Dead SILENCE

_**A/N: This will become crossover-y once I get past the life changing events. Until then I'm not telling you the other show/people in the crossover. Zack and Cody are related to my OC Jessica and partial OC Michelle in this story. Let's start the story!**_

"Hey, Zack, Cody!" Jessica called across the schoolyard.

Zack and Cody ran over, wanting to hear what their cousin had to say.

"Our bus is over here today." Zack and Cody frowned, expecting the news to be something more exciting.

"Jessica, since Michelle had a dentist appointment today and missed some finals, isn't she gonna fail half her classes?" Zack asked.

"No, she arranged to take them on the review day before the scheduled finals, so she's getting completely fair grades in all her classes," Jessica said as she boarded the bus.

Zack and Cody got on the bus and sat down in a seat behind Jessica.

"So… this dental appointment lasted all day?" Cody asked skeptically.

"Well, it was dental surgery, Cody. They had to knock her out first, and you know how hard it is to do that," Jessica smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. She's like Zack," Cody replied, pointing at his brother.

More kids on got on the bus, and soon it was time to leave school for the summer.

"So… what are we doing this summer?" Zack asked.

"Well, we're going to Cancun with everyone, aren't we? I can't wait! We're gonna see a bunch of our cousins, Grandma, Grandpa, and a bunch of other people... well, you get the picture," Jessica said.

"Yeah, I can't wait, either!" Cody said.

Suddenly, the bus swerved. Several people started murmuring.

"Be quiet until I get through these cars!" She tried to keep her cool, but everyone could sense the fear in the bus driver's voice.

The bus swerved again. It wasn't going to keep its balance this time. Everyone was in a panic as the bus fell on its side on the hill next to the road. Screams of bloody murder escaped from the bus as everyone was thrown onto the side that hit the ground.

After a couple of seconds, everyone let out a sigh of relief, thinking the bus would not move again. But it did.

The bus rolled over once. Then it rolled over two more times.

Finally, it stopped.

Dead SILENCE.

_**A/N: I know this chapter's short. They'll get longer. I may not write another chapter for this story for a long time. For now, I'm working on **_**Sugar Baby v2. **_**The only reason I got this done is because I had writer's block for the other story. So, in closing, review!**_


	3. In The Hospital

Cody's eyes shot open. What was this new place he was in? Last thing he remembered was getting on the bus. He tried to remember what happened after that, but it made his head hurt.

He slowly scanned the room: white walls, white ceiling, troffer lights, white curtains. He looked at what he was lying on: white sheets on a white bed with rails.

He was in a hospital.

He tried to adjust his position on the bed to try to uncover the reason of his hospital admission. As he moved, he realized it was hard to move his legs. They felt weak and limp.

But why? What could've happened that Cody couldn't remember? Cody inferred that it must have been an accident of some sort, probably a car accident since the last thing he remembered was getting on the school bus. Cody ceased his thinking as Jessica walked into the room. She had a medium-sized cut halfway between her left eyebrow and her hairline. Cody wondered if it was caused by whatever had put him in the hospital.

"Oh, Cody, you're awake!" she said. "Bet you're wondering why here, aren't you?" Jessica threw the question out in the open like it was nothing. Cody nodded slowly.

"Well, the school bus crashed. On the last day of school. Do you remember that?" Cody thought for a minute and nodded no.

"What happened was the driver swerved to make sure she didn't hit a car, but the bus ended up rolling over and falling down a hill next to the road. Once it finally stopped, we sat there for a minute and then evacuated the bus. Everybody got out on their own except for 2 people," Jessica said.

"Wh--" Cody started. It was the first time he had used his voice since the accident. "Why's my voice so hoarse? How long have I been here? Who was the other person who didn't get out?" Cody asked his last question quietly, hoping it wasn't a friend, or worse--a family member.

"Your voice is hoarse because they had you on a ventilator the first day you were here. Your mom and I convinced them to take you off of it on the condition they would put it back in on the first sign of respiratory problems with you. You've only been here 3 days. And... umm..." Jessica paused, wondering if she should say the next 8 words she was planning on saying, but by the look on Cody's face, she could tell he already knew what she was going to say. "Zack's the other one who didn't get out," she finished. Cody nodded as if to say, "Go on." She went on to explain that there were several people on the bus that had to go to the hospital.

"4 people came to the hospital besides you and Zack. Haley broke her arm. Mark and some guy I don't know were freaking out and hit their heads really hard while they were being helped out of the bus. They were acting kinda weird, so they were brought here for observation. And I was brought here for observation because I hit my head and got this nasty cut." Jessica pointed up at the cut on her head.

Cody quietly asked more questions. "When did you get out of here?" "Where's Mom?" "Is Dad coming?" "Is Zack awake yet?" "Will he be okay?" Jessica answered them all. She had gotten out yesterday morning. Yes, Kurt was coming. Carey was in a meeting with some doctors to discuss possible effects of the head injury on Zack. Jessica added that although they weren't entirely certain, the doctors were pretty sure that most of the injuries to Zack's brain were in the temporal lobe.

That just left one burning question in Cody's mind. Cody wondered whether he should ask Jessica. He wondered if she would know. He decided to speak up.

"Hey, umm, Jessica?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are my legs limp?"

"Well, the doctors _did _say that your muscle tone might be different when you woke up. Are your hands or arms like that at all?"

"I don't think so." Cody showed that he could move his hands and arms like normal, something he couldn't do with his legs.

Suddenly, there was an awkward silence in the room. Jessica and Cody just looked at each other, both seemingly wanting to say something but staying silent. Then, just as quickly as the silence had come upon the room, it disappeared when Cody had yet another question.

"Do you think Zack'll wake up soon?"

"I think Zack'll wake up when he's ready."

"That won't be too soon." Cody sighed.

"You never know. It _could_ be tomorrow."

And with that, Jessica left.

_**A/N: I'm still working on **_**Sugar Baby v2, **_**so I only write chapters for this story when I have writer's block on the other. I usually have an idea for the one story by the time I finish working on a chapter of the other. Again, short chapter. They'll get longer.**__**So, in closing, review! I want to know how I'm doing.**_


	4. What's wrong?

_**A/N: For the next couple of chapters I've decided to take a diary-like approach. It'll probably be a diary or 1 or 2 people's point of view this chapter, and at least part of the next chapter will be a diary or POV. So, without further ado, here's the chapter. And relax, Cody's NOT paralyzed, I do explain it in the chapter, but I want to make sure you to know that.**_

_**Cody's POV**_

I rolled into Zack's room.

That's right: rolled. I was discharged from the hospital yesterday, the day I woke up, because the doctors saw no reason to keep me there as an inpatient.

Not to say I'm not gonna be here every day. The doctors say my legs are hypotonic as a result of my brain injury in the crash. Hypotonic means low tone, which means my muscles are limp and can't really hold as much weight. I can feel them, I can move them a little, I just can't bear weight on them.

So the doctors have me coming in for therapy every day. I do what they tell me to do, and then I go see Zack for the rest of the day.

At least Zack doesn't look as scary as I thought he would. He's got some wires attached to his head and some going under his gown, probably to his heart.

I decided to talk to him.

"Zack, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but if you can, I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

I had grasped Zack's hand for all of 2 seconds when his monitors started going crazy. But it didn't seem like a bad crazy, it actually seemed like he was... waking up.

"C'mon Zack, you can do it!"

Zack eyes fluttered open. He looked up, he looked over at me. He was awake!

_**Zack's POV**_

I looked up. I looked over to my left. There was Cody.

Am I awake? It seriously feels like I'm sleeping. Maybe I should pinch myself.

Ow. Okay, I think I'm awake. I'm looking at Cody and he has this complete look of shock on his face.

He opens his mouth and begins to speak, and I think I'm the one with the look of shock now.

_**Cody's POV**_

As I begin to speak, Zack gets this look of shock on his face. I figure it might be because I'm in a wheelchair, so I start to explain what happened, but he just keeps the look of shock, then squints his eyes shut, opens them again, looks over at me for a few seconds, and then turns over so I can't see his face.

I take that as a message to leave the room, so I roll out the door and into the hallway. As soon as I get out I start thinking—hard.

What's wrong?

_**A/N: That's what I want YOU to figure out. What do YOU think is wrong with Zack? Put your answer in a review for this chapter of this story. Your answers probably won't change the course of the story because I already have most of it planned in my head. I would like to find out what you think is going on, though.**_

_**In other news, another chapter done. For those of you who have been reading Sugar Baby v2, I've been having writer's block for awhile on that one. I might write the next chapter for this before that one gets updated, because I have the entire next chapter in my head. In closing, review! I like feedback.**_


	5. His Secret Ain't a Secret Anymore

_**A/N: This is the chapter with the diary-like writing. If there's no POV indication, it's omniscient. Also, it's been a week or two since they got out of the hospital. Enjoy!**_

_**June 15, 2008, 9:30 AM**_

_**Cody's POV**_

We got out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago and my physical therapy sessions are getting cut down to twice a week.

We still aren't sure why Zack acts weird around us. He won't talk to us, he won't pay attention to us, and he gives us a Look when we try to talk to him or get him to talk to us.

Mom told us that some of our cousins are coming to the hotel before leaving for Cancun tomorrow. I wonder if we're going.

_**June 15, 2008, 10:00 AM**_

_**Zack's POV**_

I'm not sure what I should do. I know someone will eventually find out what happened, so what's the big deal with telling someone?

I guess I'm just... scared.

_**June 15, 2008, 11:50 AM**_

Zack, Cody, Michelle, and Jessica's cousins and their parents were supposed to get to The Tipton at 12:00.

That gave Jessica ten minutes to interrogate Zack.

_**June 15, 2008, 11:50 AM**_

_**Carrie's POV**_

"Hey, Aunt Carey, I'm gonna go try to talk to Zack again, okay?" Jessica said, getting up from her spot on the couch.

"Jessica, honey, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Trust me. I think this time will be different."

_**June 15, 2008, 12:05 PM**_

The relatives were here!

Everyone in the living room came to greet them. After they'd been greeted, Carey went to the kitchen to find some coupons. Jessica and Zack walked up behind her not long after she'd gotten the coupon basket. Jessica said something to Carey, and, amidst odd looks from everybody else in the suite, Carey took Zack out of the suite.

"What was THAT about?" Cody asked.

"I'll tell all of you guys soon, okay?" Jessica said.

"Well, then, can you at least tell us a little bit more about what happened with you guys? All we really know was that you were in a bus crash," Aunt Rachel said.

"I'll tell you what I told Cody, which is all I remember: the driver swerved to make sure she didn't hit a car, but the bus ended up rolling over and falling down a hill next to the road. The accident left Cody's legs hypotonic and Zack deaf."

Jessica sat there silent as everyone else in the suite said the exact same thing:

"What?!"

_**A/N: First off, I'd like to congratulate Wyntirsno on being the first and only one to correctly guess the answer to the question posed last chapter. Second, I will probably be updating this before Sugar Baby. Third, I know it's short. So, anyway, the next chapter will chronologically be happening at the same time as this chapter and will cover what Zack and Carey did after they left the suite. Lastly, review!**_


	6. He's Deaf

_**A/N: Diary-like writing for this chapter and possibly the next one as well. This chapter is what happened after Zack and Carey left the suite. Some part of it contains a flashback. There's nothing special marking the flashback except that the timestamp will be a time before they left the suite in the previous chapter.**_

_**June 15, 2008, 12:05 PM**_

_**Zack's POV**_

Well, that was it. It was out. Mom knew I was deaf. She had dragged me out of the suite, into the elevator, into the lobby, and out the door to our car. She opened the door and got in. I followed suit. We buckled up and we were off.

_**June 15, 2008, 12:10 PM**_

_**Carey's POV**_

I can't believe it. Zack's deaf. I wonder if I'll get the same questions Rachel got when they found out Leah was deaf. "Is he deaf because of your music?" "That must be horrible with you being a singer." I wonder how Zack will deal with it. _How could the doctors have missed this?_

I decided to sign to Zack with one hand while I was driving, but he just turned to look out the window.

_**June 15, 2008, 12:11 PM**_

_**Zack's POV**_

Mom started to sign to me. I didn't pay attention and instead just looked out the window and thought.

_**June 15, 2008, 11:50 AM**_

Zack was sitting at the desk in his and Cody's room, typing on the computer. Jessica walked in and sat on Cody's bed. She'd always taken more of a liking to Cody's side of the room because it was usually cleaner. She watched Zack for a minute, then got up and walked toward him.

"Zack?" she said.

No answer.

She got a little louder and closer.

"Zack?"

No answer.

She tapped him on the back. He spun around rather quickly to face her, then turned back to his computer. Jessica turned his chair back around to face her.

"Are you deaf?" she signed.

Zack turned back around. Jessica spun him around again.

"Are you deaf?" she repeated.

Zack motioned to the computer screen, where he had just opened Microsoft Word. He started to type.

"I can't understand you," he wrote.

"What do you mean? You're fluent in ASL," she wrote back.

"That's part of what's confusing me. I know I knew ASL before the accident, but now I can't remember anything except its grammar and stuff and some random signs like 'cat' and 'suspenders.'"

"Suspenders?"

Zack showed her that he indeed remembered the sign for suspenders.

"Okay, but do you think the accident caused it?" Jessica wrote.

"Duh."

Jessica thought for a second, then typed something.

"Do you remember how to cue?"

"What, like cued speech?"

"Yeah, your girlfriend last summer used it and you learned it so you could communicate with her and ask her, and I learned it because I wanted to be friends with her."

"Well, yeah, but I don't get your point."

"Can we cue instead of typing all this out? It's making my hand hurt."

Zack turned toward her.

"Okay, we'll cue," he cued.

"Okay, I'm gonna start with what I know: you can't hear me; you can't remember ASL vocabulary; you remember cued speech; and for some reason, you won't speak or tell anybody you're deaf. Why won't you speak?" she cued back.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just scared. I don't know what I sound like or how Mom will react."

"Speak."

"What?"

"Speak."

"No!"

"Yes! Speak."

"I'll sound weird!"

"You won't sound any weirder than you already are."

"No."

Jessica stared him down. Finally, he gave in.

"Fine. How do I sound?" he said.

"You sound like you normally do," she cued.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm going back to cueing with no voice," he cued.

"Okay, but we have to tell your mom now."

"Fine, but can we not break the news that I can't remember sign to her yet?"

"Zack, we have to tell her sometime."

"I know, just... not now."

"Fine, we won't tell her now, but we're telling her today."

"Works for me. Let's go."

And with that Zack and Jessica left the suite to break the news to Carey.

_**June 15, 2008, 12:30 PM**_

_**Zack's POV**_

Wow. We're already at the audiologist? Wait; how can Mom just walk in with me? Wouldn't she need an appointment? Or did she call ahead? Whatever. Now a lady's leading Mom and me back into a room. She looks at me and says and signs something. I know she's sim-comming, but I have no idea what she said. I want to try to cue to her, but Mom would probably freak out, so put on a questioning look, and the lady tries again. I shake my head with the same look on my face, and she turns to Mom and says something. Mom's doing the talking from now on.

The doctor's looking in my ears now.

Now she's leading me into a booth and attempting to tell me something. I only understand a little of it, but I know what she's trying to get across: press the button when you hear a sound.

She's probably playing a bunch of sounds through the headphones on my head, but I never hear anything.

Now she's putting something behind my ear. It seems like she still wants me to press the button in my hand, but I still don't press it.

She seems to be telling me something now, because she's talking and looking straight at me. I guess she wants to do a different test. She stops talking and is probably starting the thing she was probably telling me about a minute ago. I have no idea what to do for this one.

Awhile later, I get to come out of the booth. The lady's telling Mom something.

Mom looks at me, then breaks down crying.

That's it.

It's over.

She knows for sure.

_**June 15, 2008, 1:00 PM**_

_**Carey's POV**_

"...but it's probably profound."

I feel like a deer caught in headlights.

I look over at Zack. He looks concerned.

I break down crying.

That's it.

It's over.

I know for sure.

He's deaf.

_**A/N: Well, that's the end of another chapter. When I mentioned Rachel and Leah somewhere near the beginning of this chapter, I stole their family from Signing Time so Zack could have a relation to it and maybe have more of a want to watch it, since I can't make anything original, or even think of a spoof of Signing Time's name, so I used the real name and people, but other than having the physical characteristics of and physically being those people, they are completely created by me personality-wise and any resemblance to the living people may or may not be intentional. I'm ALMOST starved for ideas for this story, but I DO have a plan for the next chapter. It may or may not be diary-form. I only thing I have left to say is that I'd love to know what you think, so review!**_


	7. Delivering the News

"Hey look out for that moving van, look out, look out, look out, look out! She was The New Girl in... Town!"

Everyone was sitting in the suite watching _Hairspray_, anxiously awaiting Zack and Carey's return.

Jessica had given them the news shortly after Zack and Carey had left the suite, so they weren't all that surprised when Carey had come back into the suite with an unhappy look on her face.

At that moment, every adult in the suite started bombarding Carey with questions.

"What happened?" "Are you okay?" "At least you guys already know ASL." These and several other questions were asked of Carey, and the suite was so loud, nobody could hear the one child asking a question.

"Um... hello?" Cody said. "Hello?!"

Jessica, who was sitting next to Cody, suddenly thought of something.

"Yo!" she screamed. Everyone looked at her.

"My cousin has something to say. Cody?"

"Mom, are we still going to Cancun?"

"Well, I don't know sweetie. I don't think it'll be possible this year."

"But I really wanted to go."

"I know, honey. Maybe we could go somewhere else. Just you, me, and Zack. Like to a museum or to see Blue Man Group. Or maybe to The Aquarium?"

"Okay," Cody reluctantly agreed.

As the adults started conversing, Jessica shot Zack a look.

"What?" Zack mouthed.

"When are you going to tell her?" Jessica cued.

"Do I have to?" he cued back.

"Yes."

"Fine. I'll tell her now."

Zack tapped his mother's shoulder. Once she turned to face him, he motioned for her to follow him.

"Excuse me for a second," she said as she followed Zack into his room.

They were in there for a minute or two, then they came out, Carey with a shocked and unhappy look on her face once again. Zack came out with a look of relief on his face, with just a hint of regret.

"What's wrong?" one of the adults said.

"Zack doesn't remember how to sign."

_**A/N: Dun-dun....DUN!!!!! Zack told Carey (finally)! Now, I know this chapter's short, and to be honest, I'm unhappy with it. However, I'm going to leave it as-is because I just want to get it over with. If you're reading any of my other stories, Signs of Change will get an update next, followed by Sugar Baby v2. I want to end this chapter for good now, so I'll finish by telling you to review!**_


	8. The Bag

_**Zack's POV**_

Our cousins and aunts and stuff have already gone to Cancun, and Mom and Cody went to physical therapy, so I'm sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich when Jessica comes in with the Bag. I sigh inwardly. I don't have to wonder what's in the Bag because I know what's in the Bag. I know what's in the Bag because the same thing is always in the Bag.

Signing Time.

Now, I love Signing Time; don't think for a second that I don't. It's just that... it's a bit... young. It's better suited for people under 10, not me, as a 15 year old.

But I promised Jessica I'd watch it, so that's what I'm going to do.

She pulls a DVD out. Aw, great, it's Baby Signing Time. She's REALLY starting me from the beginning. I walk over and plant myself on the couch anyway.

The DVD starts. It's filled with all the animation and cute little babies and-- what am I saying?! I watch the entire volume, learning 33 signs and even remembering some that the DVD didn't teach in the process.

Then it's over, and when I realize that, I'm a little upset. Watching Signing Time made me remember how much I used to love it.

But Jessica said we were only watching one today. She's already putting the DVD back in its case, putting the case back in it's appropriate spot in the Bag, and taking the Bag back to her suite.

I think I'll be okay with not going to Cancun.

As long as the Bag comes back here more often.

_**A/N: I got the idea for the Bag from myself. I have this Target grocery bag with multiple large holes in it that I carry all my eleven Signing Time DVDs in. Secondly, I know this chapter is short. I'm having a block on this story. Third... ah, just review the dang thing.**_


End file.
